Reviews | Page 5 | Vero Beach Foodie

Bobby’s – Restaurant Review

by Thomas Miller – Food Blogger for Vero Vine

Bobby’s has been an institution in Vero Beach for over 30 years, and has won numerous awards, including the TCPalm 2014 Reader’s Choice Award for the Best Sports bar. Since my wife and I are still fairly new to Vero Beach, there are a lot of restaurants that we have not had the opportunity to try yet, and Bobby’s was one of them. We’ve heard rumors that it’s where the locals hang out and that they have the best burgers in town. With a claim like that, I’ve got to check this place out for myself!

We arrived at dinner time on a Friday night. As we entered the restaurant, we were promptly greeted by the hostess. Since the weather was gorgeous out, we asked if there was an outside patio we could dine on. There was, and we were ushered through the restaurant and out to the patio. The inside dining room was somewhat dark, and had stained wood booths with padded seating. The walls were a dark green color. It reminded me of a country club type of dining room. The walls were adorned with sports pictures and memorabilia. Being that this restaurant was at the beach, I was a little bit disappointed that there was not an ocean view from the patio. However the patio was nice and somewhat private. The chairs look like your typical patio lawn furniture, but were much sturdier than what you have at home, and they were surprisingly comfortable. The tables were moderately decorated with candle in an orange colored glass candle holder, and a basket with the usual condiments. The patio was surrounded with a short concrete wall with plants and was nicely decorated. A strings of lights were hung around the patio to provide a low light ambiance to the area. It was very nice!

Let’s dive right in and see what we had to eat!

Beef and Barley Soup – ($3.95) – My wife ordered this soup as her appetizer, and was glad she did. The soup is house made and was very good. It had a nice depth of beef flavor to it, and was not too salty.

New England Clam Chowder – ($3.95) – This is one of my all time favorite soups. This is made in house and was spectacular! The clams were soft and tender, it was not overloaded with potatoes, and had just the right amount of salt in it. Very good!

Cheese Burger – ($10.95) – My wife got the cheese burger and she thought it was very good! The burger patty is quite large and it comes with the usual toppings. The french fries were lightly fried, but still had a nice crunch to them and were lightly salted.

Bobby’s Burger – ($11.95) – I ordered Bobby’s burger since I figured this was the house specialty and one of the more popular burgers on the menu. My instincts were correct, the burger was a good choice. It had a 10 oz (pre-cooked) weight and overhung the side of the bun. The mushrooms and onions were plentiful, and it was served with the usual toppings. My choice of side was the potato salad since I figured that was also made in house. While it was good, it did not stand out for me. It was your typical mustard potato salad. I thought it could have used a touch more seasoning to make it a little tastier.

In Conclusion:

We decided to skip dessert since we were both stuffed. The burgers were quite large and were exceptionally good. Service was prompt and courteous, and the atmosphere, while lacking an ocean view, was very nice and seems somewhat private out on the patio. My expectations were set high before we arrived since I’ve heard so many good things from multiple people around town, and we were not disappointed. Our total bill (without tip) came to just under $40.00 so dining here will also not break the bank. If you have not had a chance to check out this Vero institution, you definitely need to.

Ratings:

Atmosphere – 4 Forks

Service – 4 Forks

Food – 4 Forks

Ratings Scale Legend:

1 to 5 Forks – 1 Bad to 5 Excellent

Bobby’s Restaurant & Lounge

3450 Ocean Drive, Vero Beach, FL 32963

(772) 231-6996

Alley Tacos – Restaurant Review

by Thomas Miller – Food Blogger for Vero Vine

I got a HOT tip from Vero Vine’s editor that there was this secret taco place in an alley off of 14^th street somewhere downtown. He wanted me to go and look for it and try it out. I pressed him for more information since it was vague at best, and he reached out to the person that gave him the tip. We finally got the exact location, and my wife and I drove around and eventually did find the place. I parked on the street and walked down the alley to it. To my surprise, it’s just what you see in the picture above. It’s a pop up taco stand that only operates only on Friday nights from 7:00pm till about 2:00am right out the backdoor of the Irish American Club. Don’t let the appearance fool you though, the food is AMAZING! They serve tacos, Mexican soda’s and bottled beer. Let’s dive in and see what I had to eat!

All of the taco meats are freshly cooked before service and as they run out. From what I can remember they offer beef, chicken, pork, chorizo, al pastor, and beef tongue. I arrived around 6:30pm and they were not quite ready for service yet, so I hung around and watched them cook. The smells were intoxicating! If the tacos are half as good as they smell, then I’m in for a treat!

Here are a few of the toppings they offer. Cilantro, white onion, a mixture of what looks to be white onion, cucumber, habanero peppers, and sliced radishes. They also had sautéed onions as well

Two different types of salsas to choose from. The reddish orange one is hotter, and the green one is milder. I like things hot, so I tried the reddish orange one on my tacos.

Here are the two tacos that I got. One beef and one pork. They come with just the corn tortilla and the meat. You then choose what else you want on top. I went traditional and did white onion and cilantro, salsa and lime juice. They were amazing! The tortillas were grilled, the meat was flavorful, and the toppings were fresh.

In Conclusion:

I went to Mexico back in the mid 90’s and these tacos are truly authentic and brought back memories of my travels there. While the location is somewhat hard to find, it’s definitely worth the time to seek them out. At only $2.50 per taco, you can eat till you are stuffed and not empty your wallet either. They have been doing this for almost 3 years now, and I think they will continue as good as they are.

Have you tried them? What do you think? Sound off in the comments below and let me know your experiences with them.

Atmosphere – 2 Forks

Service – n/a

Food – 5 Forks

Ratings Scale Legend:

1 to 5 Forks – 1 Bad to 5 Excellent

Behind the Irish American Social Club

1314 20th St, Vero Beach, FL 32960

Taste of Vero 2016 – Part II

by Thomas Miller – Food Blogger for Vero Vine

OK, here we go with part 2 of my review of the Taste of Vero Event! Which dish came out on top for me? Be sure to check out my TOP ATE dishes from this event at the end of the article!

Let’s jump right back in where I left off. . .

Chive – As an avid BBQ fan, ribs are one of my favorites, so I was looking forward to trying their offering. This is a deep fried spare rib with a maple soy glaze & fresh garlic. The rib was tender, but not fall off the bone tender. I could definitely tasted the maple, but the garlic must have been more subtle since I did not taste any in the sample that I had.

Wild Thyme Catering – While it was a small sampling, it was interesting to say the least. It was a breaded chicken satay with a thai peanut sauce. The chicken was perfectly cooked, but the outer coating was not as crunchy as I had hoped it would be. The thai peanut sauce was good, but could have used a little bit more heat to it.

Baci Trattoria – They were serving a Meatball Gondola as their main course, and a hibiscus flower infused limoncello tiramisu in a small cup for dessert. The meatball was perfectly cooked and seasoned to perfection. It had a simple tomato sauce over the top with shaved parmesan cheese. The dessert was the star of their offering. It was tangy, creamy, and oh so delicious! I only wish they gave out a larger portion, because two bites and it was gone!

Heaton’s Reef – Now this looks interesting! What could be inside? This is a Bacon, Cheddar, and Grits Croquette with a beer cheese sauce. The outside was crunchy, and the inside was soft and fluffy. It had cheese and bacon inside, plus the beer cheese sauce on the plate, with a sprinkling of bacon and chopped chives to garnish. Another one of my wife’s favorites of the night!

Cobalt – It’s an Ahi Tuna Crisp with cucumber, scallions, and its topped off with an Avocado crema. This dish has a lot of components that I like and was fantastic! The wonton was crispy, the tuna was slightly chilled and seasoned well, the cucumber was crunchy, and the avocado crema on top was smooth and creamy. A very nice offering from Cobalt!

Amalfi Grill – I got to them later in the evening and they ended up running out of the roasted porcini risotto they were offering, so I did not get a chance to taste that, but what I did taste was really good. In the picture above is what they had left. Tuscan short ribs and Pollo Cavatappi Amalfi pasta. The short ribs were slow roasted and very tender. The sauce they were in had a great depth of flavor, the kind you get from slow cooking them for a long time. The pasta had a lot going on with it. It had rosemary roasted chicken, sweet Italian sausage, spinach, portabella mushrooms tossed in a white truffle cream sauce topped with parmesan reggiano cheese. While it was good, I was unable to taste all of the components in it. Perhaps we just did not get everything in the sample we were given, but my expectations for this dish were higher with all that it had going on.

Blue Agave – I’ve had the pleasure of eating at Blue Agave one time previous to this event and the meal was awesome, so I was definitely looking forward to trying what they had to offer. Here we have a Cabeza (Beef Cheek) taco with a carrot slaw and a cucumber watermelon margarita sample. The tortilla was made from corn and held together well, the cabeza was very tender and flavorful, and the carrot slaw was tangy, sweet, and crunchy! The combination was definitely a winner, as they were awarded the top honor of the night with the people’s choice award for best dish. The margarita was quite strong and was definitely a crowd favorite that night.

Osceola Bistro – I got in line to try their dishes fairly early in the evening, but the line was long and not moving. It appeared as if they were not ready for service at the start of the event, so we decided to move on and come back to them. This was the last booth we visited for the evening and they were out of everything except for the wings. The wing is the Bireley Family Favorite Chicken Wings and were lightly breaded and tossed in a spicy garlic, ginger, local honey, and other secret spices. The wing was hot and freshly cooked and I loved the sauce. The sauce was tangy and a bit spicy. The wing was perfectly cooked, still moist and tender inside. I only wish I could have tasted the other dishes they were offering, as they sounded interesting.

WOW, there were definitely a TON of great dishes offered at this year’s Taste of Vero event. Which dishes made my TOP ATE? Check out my list below:

8. The Wave – Rock Shrimp Ceviche

7. Heaton’s Reef – Bacon, Cheddar, Grits Croquette

6. Joey’s Seafood Shack – Crab Cake and Cabbage Slaw

5. Bistro Fourchette – Trio of Crostinis

4. Ocean Grill – Caramel Flan

3. Vero Beach Yacht Club – Trio of Compound Salads

2. Blue Agave – Cabeza Taco with Carrot Slaw

And my #1 favorite from the night!

Citron Bistro – Ahi Tuna over Asian Noodles

In Conclusion:

From what I heard about last year’s event, I certainly was not disappointed. Over 20 restaurants came together to let you sample what they have to offer, and to support a great cause too. The H.A.L.O No Kill Animal Shelter is definitely a worthy charity, and the community always comes out in droves to support them. Tickets for this event sold out in less than 2 days! If you would like to attend next year, make sure you follow the Taste of Vero event on Facebook to keep up to date on when the tickets go on sale, and I’d suggest you purchase them the day they go on sale next year!

After tasting so many different dishes that evening, I was FULL, but very satisfied! ToV is a great way to get a sample taste from many different restaurants you may not have visited yet, but have been meaning to. If you attended the ToV, how did my favorites stack up with yours?

Sound off in the comments below and let me know your thoughts on my selections.

Read The Taste of Vero 2016 – Part I

Taste of Vero 2016 – Part 1

by Thomas Miller – Food Blogger for Vero Vine

The Taste of Vero 2016 – Part II

After hearing great things about this event last year, I’d been looking forward to it this year. Where else can you try so many different restaurants in one place, at the same time, for one price? The Taste of Vero is where! This event is sponsored by and a benefit for the H.A.L.O No Kill Animal Shelter and tickets go quick! This year they added an additional 100 tickets, for a total of 550, and it sold out in less than 2 days! You have to be on top of your game once the tickets go on sale to make sure you get them. Since Vero Vine was a sponsor, I was invited to attend the event and write about all of the great food served this year. There were over 20 different restaurants participating, serving up some really great food! Lets dive right in and see what everyone was presenting!

Vero’s Caribbean Kitchen – The first restaurant we tried is one of my absolute favorites in Vero right now. Chef Charles has some really awesome Caribbean flavors and he served two of his most popular dishes. Up front is his Caribbean Pork with a Pineapple Mango Caribbean sauce, and in the back is his Jerk Chicken. The pork was very tender and the sauce was sweet with just a little bit of heat. The piece of jerk chicken I got had a lot of bone in it, but was spiced perfectly! I’ve had his chicken in the past and thought it was under seasoned, but not this night. It was bold, but not spicy, and had lots of flavor. If you have not had a chance to check them out yet, I definitely recommend you do!

Eva’s Polish Kitchen – Up until my recent review of Eva’s, I had not had the opportunity to try authentic Polish food before. I was really glad to see them at the ToV this year. On the back of the plate was a Polish marble cake called Babka. It was moist and delicious! Next I had the Polish sausage with sauerkraut, and finally a stuffed cabbage roll. The sausage had the familiar snap to the casing and the kraut was tangy and very tasty! Their stuffed cabbage was fantastic! The tangy, slightly spicy red sauce over the top really makes the dish, and the meat filling was seasoned perfectly! Unfortunately Eva’s ran out of food before the night’s end. An indication of how good it was? I think so! Hopefully if you were there you got to them early enough to try some of their great offerings, if not, head on over to Eva’s on 43^rd Avenue, you won’t be disappointed.

Chelsea’s on Cardinal – Their offering was several different kinds of pizza. I selected one that looked out of the ordinary. I believe my selection was a Vegan Pesto Pizza. The crust was fairly thin, but was still strong enough to not flop when picked up. The vegetables were well seasoned and the pesto was slightly tangy. Overall a very nice offering.

The Buggy Bistro – They were serving a Pork Taco with onions and green pepper, with a cabbage slaw and grated cheese over the top. While the presentation was nice, the dish fell short of my expectations. The tortillas were not grilled before service and fell apart while eating the taco. The onions and peppers were quite crunchy and appeared to be raw. The flavors were somewhat mild, but the pork was nicely cooked and had good flavor.

Joey’s Seafood Shack – I’ve experienced Joey’s twice now, once at the Top Chef qualifier, and as a finalist at the Top Chef finale event, and both times their food has been outstanding! Their offering tonight was no exception, a Crab Cake with Cabbage Slaw. The crab cake was cooked perfectly, containing a generous amount of crab meat. It had a slight crunch on the outside which gave a nice texture variation, but the slaw was my favorite part of this dish. It was sweet, creamy, and oh so delicious! I definitely need to pay them a visit sometime to see what other great offerings they have on their menu.

Ocean Grill – This turned out to be one of my favorite desserts of the night! A Caramel Flan with berry sauce and whipped cream on the side. It was very smooth, creamy, and had this wonderful toasted marshmallow flavor. It only got better with each bite!

Countryside Citrus – Up next we have another dessert offering, this time from Countryside Citrus. A small slice of Key Lime Cheesecake, their wonderful Orange Soft Serve Ice Cream, and a sample of their Peach Salsa with Tortilla chips. While the two desserts went well together, I was a bit confused by the salsa. While it is very good, it did not really belong on the plate with the desserts.

The Wave – A very nice presentation and generous offering from Costa d’Este. They were serving Rock Shrimp Ceviche. It was topped with match stick sliced radish, micro greens, and fried plantain chips to finish the dish. Served alongside was a lime mojito. There was a generous serving of rock shrimp in the cup and they were wonderful. Tangy from the lime juice, the radish provided that nice crunch and the plantain chips were crispy. The mojito had a nice limey flavor with a hint of mint. The rum was a bit strong for my taste, but I’ve heard people rave about the Costa d’Este Mojitos so they must be good!

Trattoria Dario – They were offering two kinds of Meatballs. Two were in their tomato sauce, and the one was in their BBQ sauce. While the tomato sauce was good, and the meatballs were homemade, I was a little disappointed with their offering, considering what else I had already tried thus far this evening. The BBQ sauce was definitely homemade, but it lacked the punch I was looking for to drive these over the top.

Bistro Fourchette – This is a restaurant I had not heard of, but I definitely need to check them out after tasting their offerings. The salad is from Osceola Farms and is tossed in their in house champagne dressing. The three crostinis are as follows, from left to right: Caramelized Onions with Goat Cheese, Eggplant Caviar, and Oven Roasted Beef & Tartare Dressing. Everything on this plate was fantastic, the salad was lightly dressed, but very tasty, the crostinis were crisp and the ingredients they were topped with paired nicely with each other. A very well thought out dish!

Vero Beach Yacht Club – My wife was in attendance this evening to assist me, and this was one of her favorite dishes of the night. We were saddened knowing that by not being VBYC members we’ll probably never be able to enjoy this dish again. The trio of their “Signature Compound Salads” starting on the left are as follows: Tropical Krab Salad with Chef Bill’s one of a kind dressing, Massaged Kale Salad with an orange poppy seed dressing, and a Chicken BLT Salad with their unique creamy dressing. All 3 salads were fantastic! I’m not a big fan of kale, but this was very good. I think the BLT salad was our favorite out of all of these. So simple, but SO GOOD!

Citron Bistro – This was one of my favorites of the night! The dish was seared Ahi Tuna over Asian noodles and it was outstanding! The tuna was seared perfectly, and it was extremely tender. The noodles were cooked perfectly and the seasoned with soy sauce, garlic, and finished with chopped green onions. Kudos to the chef and staff in the picture above for this fabulous dish!

This concludes part 1 of my coverage of the Taste of Vero event, and I’m just scratching the surface of the offerings from the event with this first article. Stay tuned next week for part 2 and my final thoughts on this event and my TOP ATE dishes of the night!

Please leave your reviews, favorite plates in the comments below…

LOV Juice – Restaurant Review

by Thomas Miller – Food Blogger for Vero Vine

View All Vegan Restaurants in Vero Beach | How hard is it to eat Gluten Free in Vero?

As someone who eats a mostly organic diet, I was curious to learn more about this place. I first got to try them with the gift certificate that I won from the Vero Vine Make a Plate contest. The more I visit this place, the more I learn about them and I’m impressed with what they are doing here and what they are offering. They are not only a juice and smoothie bar, but they offer some food items as well. LOV Juice has been in business locally for 3 years now, and just recently moved to a new location in Miracle Mile Plaza next to Fresh Market to better serve their customers. Lets dive right in and see what I had to eat!

Vegan Taco Salad – ($8.00) – I’m a huge fan of Mexican food, so I decided to give this salad a try. The greens are cabbage, the meat is made from walnuts, sun-dried tomatoes, and a Mexican spice blend. The sour cream and nacho cheese sauces are cashew based. I was simply blown away with how good this salad was. It was bold, crunchy, and the sauces were amazing, so full of flavor! If you think eating healthy is bland, LOV Juice will definitely change your mind. The taco “meat” had a meat like texture and had a nice mild southwest flavor to it. The salsa had a tiny bit of heat to it, not too much for the average person, and the sour cream and nacho cheese sauces were cool and very fresh tasting. I’m impressed!

12oz. Acai Banana Walnut Smoothie – ($8.00) – I asked what was one of their most popular smoothie was and ordered it. This smoothie contains acai berries, banana, walnuts, almond mylk, and apple juice. It was slightly sweet from the bananas and apple juice, the acai berry gives it the purple color, and the creaminess comes from their in house made almond mylk. While it had walnuts in it, I did not get much of a nutty flavor, but I do think it added some texture to it. I see why this is one of their most popular smoothies, it was very good!

Raw Avocado Key Lime Cheesecake – ($4.00) – I don’t normally order dessert, but this looked interesting. Don’t let the green color fool you, it does not taste green at all. You can’t even discern the avocado in it either other than the color. It was super smooth, very creamy and had a bold key lime flavor to it. The crust was made from almonds, dates and the coconut and was nice and sweet. I think this was my favorite part of the meal, so I’m glad I did not skip dessert this time!

In Conclusion:

I was really surprised by my experience at LOVJuice. I thought they were pretty much just a juice and smoothie bar, but they turned out to be so much more. I’m impressed with their offerings and the flavors I experienced during my visit. If eating healthy is important to you, then I suggest you give these folks a try and see for yourself how good their products really are!

Atmosphere – 5 Forks

Service – n/a

Food – 5 Forks

Ratings Scale Legend:

1 to 5 Forks – 1 Bad to 5 Excellent

Eva’s Polish Kitchen – Restaurant Review

by Thomas Miller – Food Blogger for Vero Vine

I live close to Eva’s Polish Kitchen and have driven by it many times, but have not had an opportunity to try it yet. If you are not looking for it, you may miss it since it’s set back a little ways off of 43rd Avenue and its attached to the Chevron Gas Station. I finally had the chance to dine there and I am glad I did.

As a bona fide foodie, I’m embarrassed to admit that I don’t have much experience with polish food, so this will be a new experience for me. I arrived in the evening on St Patrick’s Day and had the place to myself. While they have a very loyal following of customers, they must have been somewhere else enjoying corned beef and cabbage this night. As you enter Eva’s, you walk into what looks to be a small store with freezers containing frozen polish entrees and a counter to place your order.

While originally only offering take out, they later expanded and added a dining room to accommodate their customers’ desire for a place to dine in. I placed my order at the counter and was directed to have a seat in the dining room. The dining room is cozy yet comfortable with a plant shelf and black & white artwork of what I imagine are polish landmarks. Table cloths were colorful and each table had a small vase with flowers in it. A condiment bar is also available for your convenience.

Looks like my food is ready, so let’s dive right in and see what I had to eat!

Pickle Soup – ($3.99) – I’ve never heard of pickle soup before, so I decided to give it a try. This traditional polish chicken and vegetable soup is made with potatoes, carrots, onion, pickle, garlic and finished with chopped dill. The pickle aroma was subtle, but you definitely knew it was there. The dill was not overpowering at all, it had a nice mellow flavor.

Goulash – ($6.95 lunch) – One thing I did notice on the menu that sounded familiar was this dish. To me, goulash is what I grew up eating in the 70’s. You remember that mixture of ground beef, tomato sauce, and elbow macaroni? Thankfully our palates have expanded since then. This goulash was made of pork, celery, onions and secret spices. The pork was tender with just a little bit of chew to it and was not spicy at all. What I received was obviously different than my expectations, and not having much experience with authentic polish food, I was pleasantly surprised, it was very good! The price above is for the lunch portion, but I asked for more of a side dish of it so I could try it.

Polish Plate – ($15.99) – I ordered the sampler platter since it was the best way for me to try many different polish dishes all at once. Starting at the back left was the stuffed cabbage. The red sauce over the top was sweet, bold, and had a tiny bit of heat. It was really good! It’s made with tomato puree, catsup, pepper, onion, garlic, heavy cream and was topped off with freshly chopped dill. The cabbage was generously filled with a mix of ground pork, turkey, white rice and spices. Next I tried the smoked kielbasa & sauerkraut. The sausage was smoky, salty, and had a nice snap to it when I took a bite. It was served over a bed of sauerkraut and topped with caramelized onions. The potato pancakes were fantastic! The edges had a slight crunch to them from being fried, and the middle was soft and tender.

The potato pancakes were served with sour cream, but you can also request applesauce on the side as well. I tried them both ways and I think I liked them best with the sour cream. I definitely could have eaten a few more of them! Last but not least were the pierogis. The menu says it comes with 3 of your choice, but they gave me 4 of them, so I could try each variety. Cabbage, Cabbage & Mushroom, Potato & Cheese, and 3 Meat (Beef, Pork, & Turkey). They were all topped with diced caramelized onions. My two favorites were the Potato & Cheese and the 3 Meat pierogis. The Potato & Cheese is one of the most common combinations. The potato was nicely seasoned and it definitely had a bold cheese flavor to it. The 3 Meat pierogi was seasoned with onions, garlic, and I believe a little bit of dill. Everything on this sampler platter was very good!

In Conclusion:

Since this was my first time having an authentic polish meal, I don’t have any previous experience to compare it to. I’ve never been a big fan of sauerkraut, but this dining experience has changed my opinion about it. Eva’s is truly a hidden gem in Vero Beach. If you are looking for a truly authentic polish dining experience, then look no further than Eva’s!

Ratings:

Atmosphere – 4 Forks

Service – n/a

Food – 4 Forks

Ratings Scale Legend:

1 to 5 Forks – 1 Bad to 5 Excellent

Come out and Try Eva’s Polish Kitchen at The Taste of Vero April 6th from 5:30pm – 8:30pm hosted by The Oceanside Business Association.

Eva’s Polish Kitchen

40 43rd Ave, Vero Beach, FL 32968

(772) 978-4200

Vero’s Caribbean Kitchen – Restaurant Review

by Thomas Miller – Food Blogger for Vero Vine

As I would drive by this restaurant just off of 20th and 43rd Avenue, I would think to myself “that place sounds interesting, I should try it sometime”. Now I’m sorry that I didn’t try it sooner! I had the opportunity to try some of their food at the Top Chef preliminary event, and what I tasted there piqued my interest in going there to try more of those Caribbean flavors! A few weeks ago I stopped by for lunch and the food was amazing! Charles Cervone, Caribbean Kitchen’s owner and chef, started cooking out of his home. When demands for his food outgrew his home kitchen, he decided to open the restaurant. He faced many challenges, but with the help of his family and friends, Caribbean Kitchen opened a little over a year ago and is doing very well. I went back for dinner the other night and below are the dishes I tried during my visit.

I went for dinner on a Tuesday night and the place was not too busy. The dining room decor is simple with seating at the counter or in booths and the walls adorned with some colorful artwork. I sat at the far end of the counter and was promptly greeted and offered something to drink. As I browsed the menu, I realized that there were so many items that I wanted to try, that it was going to take a many visits to be able to do so. I placed my order and only had to wait a short time before my first plate was presented to me. Lets dive right in and see what I had to eat!

My dinner selections came with a small dinner salad and some steamed cabbage to start. The salad was a simple green salad with chopped tomato and cucumber with the chef’s house made balsamic dressing. It was thick, slightly sweet and tangy. I detected a hint of Italian seasonings in it. The lettuce was crisp and the vegetables were fresh. The steamed cabbage was cooked perfectly, and had a little bit of heat to it. Cooked cabbage can sometimes be bland, but this was really good!

Oxtail with Black Beans and Yellow Rice – ($12.00) – If you are a regular reader of my articles, you will know that oxtail is one of my favorite meats. I had it at the Top Chef finale and it was wonderful! The oxtail here is no exception. It was cooked until perfectly tender and the dark rich sauce over the top was fantastic! The meat is still on the bone, which adds additional flavor, but it also makes it a little more challenging to eat. I chose black beans and yellow rice as my sides and they were both delicious! The beans are cooked in a ham base, and have onions, garlic, cilantro, and the chef’s house made sofrito sauce. This is one dish that I would order again!

Ropa Vieja with Roman Beans and White Rice – ($10.00) – The smell from the Ropa was intoxicating! It reminded me of my grandmother’s stuffed peppers. It’s made with shredded beef and is in a tomato and pepper sauce that is absolutely delicious! The meat is very tender, and the tomato pepper sauce is very mild. The Roman Beans were fantastic. Made with cumin, onions, garlic, cilantro, and chorizo sausage, they had that slow simmered taste and were very tender!

Arroz Con Gandules – ($0.00) – The chef came over to my table during dinner and brought me a special treat to try. This is not something that is on his menu, and he only makes it occasionally. It’s called Arroz Con Gandules, or also known as Rice & Pigeon Peas. It has onions, garlic, peppers, and pigeon peas, along with the chef’s house made sofrito sauce. Unfortunately it’s not on the menu, but it should be, it was that good!

Sweet Plantains – ($2.50) – To complete my meal, I decided to try his Sweet Plantains, and I was not disappointed. They were fried perfectly with a slight crunch to the outside, and the inside was soft and sweet! A really nice way to round out a fantastic meal!

In Conclusion:

If you’re like me, always driving by and saying that this place looked interesting, NOW is the time to stop and give them a try. They get great reviews from everyone I’ve talked to, and the food could not be more authentic. The chef takes great pride in the food he prepares and it shows with every bite.

Ratings:

Atmosphere – 4 Forks

Service – 5 Forks

Food – 5 Forks

Ratings Scale Legend:

1 to 5 Forks – 1 Bad to 5 Excellent

Vero’s Caribbean Kitchen

4211 20th Street Vero Beach, FL 32960

(772) 257-6361

Come out and Try Vero’s Caribbean Kitchen at The Taste of Vero April 6th, 2016 from 5:30pm – 8:30pm hosted by The Oceanside Business Association.

The Patio Seafood Tavern – Restaurant Review

by Thomas Miller – Food Blogger for Vero Vine

Opening in 1935, the historic Patio restaurant has been a landmark of downtown Vero Beach for a long time. The restaurant’s latest proprietor, Bill Brown, brings a wealth of restaurant management experience with him from the Orlando area. The menu has been updated offering classic dishes with a new twist, and some of the old favorites from the past. Let’s dive right in.

A friend and I arrived for dinner around 7:00pm on a Thursday night. The parking lot was a little more than half full. There was no line at the hostess stand, and we were promptly seated. As I looked around, there were a few others dining close by, but not as many as I thought from the amount of cars that were outside in the parking lot. Being a 250 seat restaurant, they were probably spread out throughout the restaurant, which was nice, it kind of felt like we had the place to ourselves. The dining room was dimly lit, and the walls were a dark stained wood. Colored accent lighting was spread throughout and a small lamp/candle adorned each table. As we browsed through the menu our waiter came and took our drink orders. We decided to try two different appetizers and we each ordered an entree. Let’s take a closer look at what we both had to eat since I’m all about the food!

Crispy Buffalo Tenders – ($9.50) – The chicken tenders were coated with a tempura like batter, lightly coated with buffalo sauce and Maytag blue cheese crumbles sprinkled over the top of them. Ranch sauce was served on the side. They were outstanding! The batter was light, yet had a richness to it. The buffalo sauce was perfect, more flavor than heat, and the blue cheese crumbles added a nice tangy finish to them. The chicken inside was moist and very tender. I did drizzle each tender with the ranch dressing, and it was the perfect complement to them. I would definitely order these again!

Flash Fried Calamari – ($9.50) – These were made with a julienne cut calamari steak, tempura batter coated, and tossed with citrus beurre blanc, sriracha, capers & tomato sauce. Most people associate calamari with the fried chewy rings you get at most places, but not here. This is where Bill added his special touch of using strips instead of rings. When the dish arrived to the table they almost looked like shrimp, from the size and shape of them. These strips were cut from a calamari steak and were very tender! The sauce had a nice brightness to it from the citrus and the sriracha, but was not too bold or spicy. A side salad and lemon wedges were served alongside as the garnish. The only thing I would change is to have the sauce served on the side. I would have preferred to have more of a crunch to the coating, and been able to dip them or choose how much sauce I used with them.

RIb Eye Steak – ($31.00) – The steak came served over mashed potatoes, with broccolini on top, then finished off with onion straws. My dinner companion ordered the steak medium rare and it came out perfectly cooked. They grill the steaks over an oak fire and you could definitely taste the smoky oak flavor on the steak which was wonderful! The broccolini was cooked perfectly and had a strong, yet not overpowering garlic flavor to it. The onion straws are more for decoration than anything, but I did taste them and they were quite good. The balsamic reduction on the plate was sweet and tangy! I only wish there was more of it!

Sea Scallops – ($27.00) – Scallops are one of my favorite seafood dishes and I was not disappointed. They were seared and butter basted, then served with a yellow pepper coulis sauce on top. They were perched on top of wasabi maple syrup sweet potato mash. The vegetable of the day was green beans. The scallops were large, delicate and had a very smooth texture. Some of the best I have ever had! If they are not cleaned properly, you can get some grit from the sand in them, and there was none of that here. I’m tossed on the sweet potato mash because I am not a fan of wasabi. It was very subtle and no heat from it, just not sure it paired that well with the maple sweetened sweet potato mash.

In Conclusion:

As a fairly new resident to Vero, I did not have the opportunity to try the Patio restaurant previously, so I don’t have any experience to compare this one to. After reading some not so positive reviews and speaking to a few other people about the restaurant’s past issues, I understood their concerns. The building is older, looks a little bit run down on the outside, and some have said it did not feel very clean. I did not get that feeling at all while dining there. If you have not tried The Patio in a while, I suggest you give them another try. See for yourself the changes that The Patio has made to improve your dining experience.

Ratings:

Atmosphere – 4 Forks

Service – 5 Forks

Food – 4 Forks

Ratings Scale Legend:

1 to 5 Forks – 1 Bad to 5 Excellent

The Patio Seafood Tavern

1103 21st St, Vero Beach, FL 32960

(772) 774-8232

Chive – Restaurant Review

by Thomas Miller – Food Blogger for Vero Vine

I remember my first dining experience at Chive being a little bit overwhelming due to all of the choices they had to offer, but that is not necessarily a bad thing! The owners, Lou Kolbauer and Travis Beckett both have diverse backgrounds in food and cooking from other restaurants they worked for and from where they lived previously. They soon got bored with cooking the same old same old for someone else, so they joined forces and Chive was born! This is one review I was really looking forward to!

My wife and I arrived for a late dinner around 7:00pm on a beautiful Tuesday evening and the line was out the door! The line moved pretty fast considering and we got up to the counter to place our order in less than 15 minutes. We decided to try two different dishes off the menu and share them. We ordered The Mexican Wedge Salad and The Ninja. We then took a seat in the dining room at a high top table and wait for our orders to be made. The dining room is quite large with lots of seating options. The walls are a pale greenish/blue color with very colorful paintings on the walls to add some color to the room. The room was at about 50% capacity and was not to noisy, considering it was kids night.

Our food has just arrived, so let’s dive right in and take a closer look!

The Mexican Wedge Salad – ($12.99) – This is not your typical wedge salad you would get at a steakhouse. First off, it’s not actually made with a lettuce wedge, which is great, because they are difficult to eat anyway. The diversity of ingredients in this salad is staggering! It’s made with Butter Lettuce, Marinated steak, Craisins, Almonds, Bacon, Avocado, Red Onion, Cilantro, Blue Cheese Crumbles, Chimichurri and Peri Peri Hot Sauce! First bite was an explosion of flavor from all of those ingredients! It was tangy from the chimichurri, slightly smoky from the bacon, the red onion added a nice crunch, and the steak was very tender! The only thing I my wife and I did not care for was the saltiness of the olives in it. They were not listed on the ingredient list, so it must have been a somewhat recent addition to the dish. We found them to be a little too salty for our tastes. Overall this is a very well executed salad!

The Ninja – ($12.25) – First impression was that this was a visually stunning dish! All of the colors from the different ingredients, plus the two different aioli’s crisscrossing over the top, very nicely done! It contained Rice topped off with Caramelized Onions, Stir Fry Vegetables, Sautéed Shrimp, Scallion, Judo Chop Sauce, Sriracha & Wasabi Aioli and scrambled eggs. First bite impression had me thinking it tasted similar to a fried rice, but way more complex with everything that was going on in this dish. The shrimp were cooked perfectly, the vegetables were cooked and seasoned to perfection. I was worried about the two aioli’s being too spicy, since my wife does not like anything hot. To my surprise, there was no heat at all from them, only some added flavor. The only thing that I did not like about this dish was the broccoli, but that is just my personal preference. I did try it, and it was not too bad when combined with everything else in this dish. This was our favorite of the night!

In Conclusion:

How does one classify a restaurant like Chive anyway? With all of the diversity and different dishes, it seems to defy classification to just one dining category. From New American cuisine, Traditional, Asian Fusion, to Soul Food, you get to decide what your experience will be by the ingredients you choose. No matter what you are in the mood for, Chive has got you covered!

Ratings:

Atmosphere – 5 Forks

Service – 5 Forks

Food – 5 Forks

Ratings Scale Legend:

1 to 5 Forks – 1 Bad to 5 Excellent

Little Chive

1785 Old Dixie Hwy, Vero Beach, FL 32960

(772) 492-9166

Big Chive

8 Royal Palm Pointe, Vero Beach, FL 32960

(772) 999-5452

Who took the Vero Beach Top Chef Title for 2016?

Vero’s 8th Annual Top Chef Finale Event Review
by Thomas Miller – Food Blogger for Vero Vine

The Vero Beach Top Chef Event for 2016 is now in the books! Who took the Top Chef title? You will have to wait until the end of the article to find out, but first I invite you to experience the event through my eyes and taste buds. The food was outstanding! Some really creative thinking on the chef’s part.

Some items I have seen before, and some were new and completely different from what I have experienced before. Below I will take you through the evening and each of the four courses and dessert, so you can experience what I and the other diners did that night.

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The event was held at The Club at Pointe West and was the perfect location for such an event. The reception hall was elegant and beautifully decorated. The room was dimly lit and accented with some green lighting around the room. Upon entry I checked into the registration table and walked down the hallway to the dining room. The first thing that caught my eye was the dining tables. The chairs were covered with white linen, and a black table cloth covering the tables. The napkins were white and were draped over the edge of the table at each seat location. Each diner was then presented with 4 forks on the left, and 4 knives on the right with the evening program in between. At the top of the program was your dessert fork and spoon. Each diner had a water glass, 4 wine glasses, and one dessert wine glass.

The decoration in the middle of the table was subtle, but very nicely done with a mason jar stuffed with cooking utensils and a yellow flower for a splash of color. Simply beautiful!

The evening started off at 6:00pm with mingling and drinks from the bar, and a silent auction to help raise additional funds for the Hope for Families Center. The welcome and other introductions started at 7:00pm, and dinner service started shortly after that. I was seated at table 3 and had a great time getting to know the other guests at the table. Three of them in particular I talked with a lot over dinner about their likes, dislikes and overall opinion about the dishes as they were served. A special thank you to Shelby, Justin, and Brittney for your thoughts and comments throughout the evening. Each dish was served anonymously so we could not pick a favorite if we knew who prepared what.

Now let’s dive right in with the first course of the evening!

1st Course: Stack of Maine Lobster & Three Cheese Eggplant Parmesan served with a Pink Cream & Mango Slaw.

Wine Pairing: Skyfall Pinot Gris, Columbia Valley

Dish Comments: I tried the Lobster stack first, which kind of looked like a small crab cake. It had a light crunch on the outside, but was soft and tender inside. It was seasoned nicely and had a fair amount of lobster inside.

I’m not a huge fan of eggplant, but the eggplant parmesan was spectacular! I wish it had a slightly crispier coating to add another element of texture to it. The slaw was a table favorite, lots of positive comments about it. It was creamy and slightly sweet from the mango. The seaweed salad had a slight Asian flavor to it, and was not a table favorite.

2nd Course: Crispy Pancetta Seared Kurobuta Pork & Tangerine Shrimp – Barrel Cut Berkshire Pork Loin, Glazed Jumbo White Ecuadorian Shrimp, Creamed Corn, Spicy Heirloom Tomato Relish, Oven Roasted Brussels Sprout, Sweet Baby Corn

Wine Pairing: Beringer Founders Estate Chardonnay, California

Dish Comments: I tried the carrots first and they were sweet, smoky, were slightly spicy and had a crunch to them. They were very good! Next I tried the shrimp and thought it was a little over cooked, as did the rest of the diners at our table, but everyone did like the spicy heirloom tomato relish on top of the shrimp. The piece of pork I had was cooked to medium, but that was not the case for everyone. The diner to my right said hers was undercooked for her taste. The pork had a smoky flavor from the pancetta, but was not as tender as I had hoped. The table consensus was that the chef should have used pork tenderloin, and not just loin for this dish.

3rd Course: Duet of Pan Seared Beef Tenderloin & Seafood Strudel of Lobster, Shrimp, & Scallop – Shallot Prepared Demi, Saffron Hollandaise, Shiitake Mushroom Risotto, Seasonal Roasted Root Vegetables, Chive Oil

Wine Pairing: Skyfall Merlot, Columbia Valley

Dish Comments: I went for the vegetables first, and the asparagus was some of the best I have ever had. It was cooked perfectly, tender and seasoned nicely. The carrots had a slight crunch to them, and they were good. I went for the beef tenderloin next and it was absolutely fabulous! Cooked to a perfect medium rare, and seasoned to perfection. You could taste the wine in the demi, and it was delicious! Everyone at the table commented how perfectly their tenderloin was cooked and how impressed they were with this dish! I left the seafood strudel for last since this was something I have never tried before, and I was very impressed with it. The strudel was flaky, the seafood was cooked and seasoned to perfection! I think this was my favorite part of this dish!

Before the next course was served, I was curious to see how all of these dishes were put together and expedited out of the kitchen so quickly. I decided to pay a quick visit to the kitchen between these courses to get a sneak peek at how they pulled this off. Below are some images from the kitchen and my comments about them below the pictures.

A quick meeting with the kitchen staff as they prepare to serve the 4th course

The Peasants Purses keeping warm until ready to be served

Plating the 4th course

Completed plates ready to be served

4th Course: Peasants Purse – Phyllo Dough Stuffed with Braised Oxtail, Micro Root Vegetables, Oxen Demi

Wine Pairing: Campo Viejo Garnacha, Rioja, Spain

Dish Comments: The presentation looks like a present, and indeed it was! The phyllo dough was crispy on the outside, yet somewhat doughy in flavor inside the package. This added an element of richness to this dish, which was my favorite of the evening! The demi was bold and full of flavor, and the oxtail was perfectly cooked and very tender. The table consensus was that this dish was too rich for some, but others loved it and thought it was the clear winner of the evening. My only complaint about it was that I did get a small round bone in the package mixed in with the meat.

The last course of the evening was dessert, but this was not being voted on since the competition for it was done at the preliminary round. Chef Lisa Damiano was the winner and below is what she prepared for us this evening.

Dessert Course: A Study of Seasons – Pear & Goat Cheese Fritter, Sticky Toffee Date & Chocolate Pudding atop a date barrel, Key Lime Raspberry mousse Tart, and finally a Chocolate Malt Ice Cream Bar. Items are in order from left to right on the picture below.

Wine Pairing: Segura Viudas Brut Reserva, Spain

Dish Comments: The first one on the left was light and crunchy, you could taste the cheese, but was not as tangy as I expected the goat cheese to be, but still it was very good! The second from the left is what Chef Lisa made for the preliminary round and won her place here tonight. I think tonight’s version was even better than it was in the preliminary round! Very moist, super chocolaty, it was fantastic! Third from the left on the spoon was the Key Lime Raspberry Mousse Tart. You could definitely taste the key lime in the mousse, but not much of the raspberry. Texture was smooth and creamy! And last but not least, was my favorite on the entire plate! The Chocolate Malt Ice Cream Bar, which after tasting I did not get that at all. It had a crunch to it and had a strong peanut butter flavor to it which was great, but not what I was expecting. While the name did not fit the dessert for me, it was my favorite of the four on the plate.

At this point in the evening, they were ready to announce the winner(s), but first they told us which chef/restaurant made what course for us this evening.

1st Course – Joey’s Seafood Shack: Chef Joey Fenyak and Chef Kim Coveny

2nd Course – Bent Pine Golf Club: Chef Tyler Colby

3rd Course – Indian River State College: Chef David Schneider

4th Course – Riverside Cafe: Chef Patrick Hughes

The winner(s) were determined in two ways. There was a panel of 3 professional chefs that tasted and critiqued each dish and settled on a winner, and the People’s Choice Award. The 3 guest chef judges were Chef Dean Evans from Oak Harbor Club, who happens to be a two time winner of the Top Chef competition, Chef Adam Walker from the Center of Plate Specialist, Gordon Food Service, and Dr Harold Cordner, Former President of the Space Coast La Chaine. For the People’s Choice Award, each diner had a vote to say which dish was their favorite. All votes were collected and the winner determined.

And now the results! Winner of the Judges Choice Award and the People’s Choice Award was Chef David Schneider from the Indian River State College!!! Congratulations to you on winning both of these prestigious awards!

In Conclusion: The Hope for Families Center does some fantastic work in the community! Judging by the turnout at this and the preliminary event, the community really seems to care about what they do by coming out and supporting such a great cause. It was a true honor and a privilege to be able to attend this event. If you were not there, then you missed the PREMIER dinner party in Vero Beach of the YEAR!

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